2007-8-12 04:06:00
My Friends,
It's time to begin my next book.
As some of you remember I started a political book some time ago called 50 Fallacies that are Dividing America. I've decided to change direction somewhat and realign focus. Instead of concentrating on problems I thought I would focus on solutions.
The new title will be:
Fixing America - Healing the World
The basic idea of the title is that the principles that will fix America will also fix or heal other countries and the world itself.
I will use some of the applicable material I started with in my previous start but most will be new material.
Introduction:
Today we live in a country that faces the most serious problem of division since the Civil War. Instead of the majority agreeing to disagree and recognizing the right of others to have their opinion it seems instead we have agreed to take up the sword and fight.
Fortunately, today, the sword is a battle of words rather than guns, but where the words become strong enough often violence will follow.
In fact, the fringes of the left and right have already shown some violence. To prevent this violence from spreading to the middle we must remember the adage that evil triumphs when good men do nothing. There are many good men and women in between the two extremes, but such peaceable people cannot just relax and rest thinking they will never be sucked into the conflict. The peaceable majority has been marshaled into unnecessary conflicts in the past and it can happen again.
Instead of placing our power in the hands of others we must closely examine the problems of our age and seek solutions. Not the tired worn out solutions of the past that have not worked, but take proven principles from the past and adapt them to the needs of the day along with any new ones that appeal to common sense.
In the end it seems the division usually boils down to this:
An emotional argument which benefits the few, that when understood makes no sense to the majority, versus an argument that makes sense and benefits the many.
If the misplaced emotional argument makes no sense when understood by the majority then it should be rejected by the majority, right?
Wrong.
The emotional argument is often embraced by the majority because it is camouflaged as being something other than what it is. It appears to make sense when it makes little sense. It is not understood nor seen for what it is because of either deceit or stupidity of the promoters. Then an appeal is made to the emotions rather than the mind and reason. If an emotional appeal is strong enough this can trump reason and even many otherwise reasonable people can be influenced to follow along.
A second category which causes conflict is created when an emotional argument that makes no sense is pitted against another emotional argument that makes no sense.
Seldom do we have a conflict arise between two sides that are able to present their side with logic and reason.
The solution then to our division is to shine the light of reason on our problems and see where it takes us. When the dust settles and if the reader finds himself clinging to his feelings only, with no reason as a foundation, then he must ask himself if reason and common sense have any real place in his life.
"Come now, and let us reason together," said Isaiah.
Is it possible the ancient prophet had the real solution to the problems we face?
Perhaps....
Let us find out.
Coyright © 2007 by J J Dewey, All Rights Reserved